What happens to an electron's energy after Bremsstrahlung radiation?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the fate of an electron after it undergoes Bremsstrahlung radiation, particularly focusing on the energy transfer to x-ray photons and the subsequent state of the electron. The scope includes theoretical considerations and conceptual clarifications regarding energy conservation in this process.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that after Bremsstrahlung, an electron retains some fraction of its energy rather than losing it all.
  • One participant questions what happens to an electron with 60 KeV of energy if it converts all its energy into an x-ray photon of the same energy.
  • Another participant clarifies that the electron's kinetic energy is what is being referred to, noting that the rest mass energy of the electron remains unchanged.
  • It is suggested that the electron will slow down and may eventually be captured by an atom or excited by other energy inputs, while also noting that Bremsstrahlung is not a 100% efficient process.
  • Participants emphasize that the electron cannot simply 'disappear' and will slow down to the thermal energy of its surroundings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the exact fate of the electron post-Bremsstrahlung, with multiple competing views on energy retention and the efficiency of the process remaining present in the discussion.

Contextual Notes

There are assumptions regarding the efficiency of Bremsstrahlung and the definitions of energy states that are not fully resolved, particularly concerning the transition from kinetic energy to thermal energy.

adjoint+
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What happens to an electron after it has undergone Bremsstrahlung and all its energy has been converted into an x-ray photon?
 
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Do you mean an electron?

Typically it will keep some fraction of its energy in a Bremsstrahlung process. At some point it gets so slow that it can be captured by atoms.
 
So, if an electron with 60 KeV interacts with the nucleus of a target material such that all of its energy is converted into an x-ray photon of energy 60 KeV, what happens to that electron now since it has 'no energy'?
 
mfb said:
Do you mean an electron?

Typically it will keep some fraction of its energy in a Bremsstrahlung process. At some point it gets so slow that it can be captured by atoms.

Yes, sorry electron, I corrected the question.
 
adjoint+ said:
So, if an electron with 60 KeV interacts with the nucleus of a target material such that all of its energy is converted into an x-ray photon of energy 60 KeV, what happens to that electron now since it has 'no energy'?

It must be assumed that you're talking about the electron's kinetic energy - the rest mass of an electron is about 511 KeV/c2. If it loses those 60 KeV of energy, from its net of 511 + 60 = 561 KeV, it will simply slow down until it is captured by an atom or excited by some other energy input. This is, of course, ignoring all relativistic correction.

In practice, since Bremsstrahlung is not a 100% efficient process, the electron won't really lose all of its energy -- it should slow down to the thermal energy of the surroundings. The electron can't 'disappear.'
 

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